The brand you buy matters more for quinoa than many other grains. Quinoa grows covered with a layer of bitter compounds called saponins. You want a brand that’s been well-washed so you can cook it straight out of the bag. Beware! Most brands say that they’re pre-washed. That doesn’t mean that their quinoa won’t require yet more washing before it’ll taste good. Bob’s Red Mill does a great job, with no bitter taste whatsoever, even when the quinoa is cooked like rice in a small amount of liquid.

Also, some brands do a really bad job separating the quinoa from the chaff. I’ve yet to find anything but quinoa grains in Bob’s packages.

This usually isn’t the cheapest brand of quinoa available. But, to me it’s worth spending a little more to have quinoa I can just measure and cook, without having to rinse it more or pick out bits of detritus.

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9 Responses to The best brand of quinoa I’ve found

Quinoa – Try It !!!Quinoa is one of the healthiest grains you can eat – and one of the most delicious! It cooks in less than 15 minutes, so you can make a fast dinner using it. And how delicious it is! Mmmmmmm!!!! Softer than rice, it has a slightly sweet and nutty taste. My favorite recipe is to cook it with a small onion, a tablespoon of butter, and a half cube of vegetarian boullion (or a half-teaspoon if using powdered boullion or fresh refrigerated type). Bring the water to a boil, add the onion, butter, let boil for a minute. Then add the quinoa. Bring to boil again. Add the bullion, and turn down to a low simmer for 10 – 15 minutes, and there you go! A fantastic grain that leaves you feeling light and energetic. As for Bob’s products, they are always excellent. Amazon’s price is very good, especially if you live in a small town or out in the country, where it may be hard to get organic and specialty items like Bob’s Quinoa.

Finally tried quinoa to great successThankfully, this is prerinsed because the quinoa was too small for my strainer. I steamed the quinoa the same way I steam rice i.e. in a pyrex bowl with boiling water covering it. It was ready in no time. It tasted fine until I added some salt and a spoonful of olive oil. Even without other fixings, this product tasted fantastic. It is definitely suitable as a rice substitute. I had been eating steamed oatmeal for a week and gotten sick of it so this quinoa has turned out to be a great purchase.

It took me a long time to purchase quinoa although I had seen it prepared many times on cooking shows because I couldn’t tell quinoa from bulgur and couscous. I will probably not bother with couscous because it is a wheat and is less nutritious than quinoa. I am trying to be efficient in preparing nutritious meals more than I am trying to expand my horizons. I am also trying to not aggravate diabetic potential.

Excellent quinoa product, not the best valueQuinoa is a great food. It is very versatile so almost anyone could make it in a way they found appealing… it’s easy to cook and easy to experiment with, and best of all, it is good for you. I agree with others that Bob’s Red Mill has the best Quinoa product… at least the best that I’ve tried. It’s prewashed which is a big convenience over unwashed quinoa, and you can count on the quality (I recently bought some red quinoa in the bulk bin from the local natural grocers and there was something crunchy in the totally cooked quinoa… I couldn’t stand it).

This deal on Amazon is a slightly better deal than you are likely to get on Bob’s Red Mill quinoa in stores. It typically sells for $9-$11 per 26 oz bag. So this deal works out to just under $9 a bag. Unfortunately Bob’s Red Mill does not sell their 25 lb bags on Amazon, which is by far their best value. The 25 lb bag for me came out to $86.05 with shipping, though that may depend on your location. If you are serious about quinoa as a staple of your diet and you’d eventually eat that much, here’s the math: This deal works out to $5.53 per pound of quinoa, while bulk works out to $3.44 per pound. If you eventually bought the same amount of quinoa via these 4 26 ounce packages you’d spend $138.25. So you’d save $52.20 going bulk.

A skilled google searcher can find where to get it 25 lb bags of quinoa from Bob’s Red Mill, but hopefully Bob’s Red Mill and Amazon will work out a way to sell them through Amazon.

Excellent whole grainThis is a superbly nutritious grain that is also easy to fix. Because it has already been rinsed, one can use it without rinsing off the hulls. I ate it first with some mushrooms with parmesan cheese sprinkled on it. It was delicious. I introduced it to someone from India and she found that she could use it with her Indian recipes. Another woman ate it with her homemade chili. It is a complete protein, so it serves as an excellent breakfast grain.

Incas To The Tables!Quinoa has longevity if nothing else, it has pedigree and is recognized as a superior source of nourishment. Popular in Peru used to be the food of choice for the less privileged. Why? Because grains and potatoes where everywhere in large amounts and the poor could always eat that.
Quinoa in America, on the other hand, has taken a lot more classy reputation and very well deserved, may I add. First thing to consider: It is unique and has a long history. Extremely regional grain. Second thing to consider: How really really good is for the human body (google it, yahoo it, very high standards as a food choice). Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Grain Quinoa is top of the line Quinoa. Washed over and over so it looses a possible bitter aspect and turns the Quinoa as a wonderful resource and should I include: Tasty? Yes, very tasty and here goes my personal best (to put my money where my mouth is), this is a sure proof way to enjoy a plate of Quinoa.
I cup Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Grain Quinoa/2 1/2 – 3 Cups of Delicious Vegetable or Chicken Broth (never Beef!)/Cook at medium heat until Quinoa is fully cooked and most liquid is absorbed (please note that sometimes Quinoa becomes thirsty and needs additional liquid, specially a higher temperatures)/Planters Peanuts (4 Oz or as much as you want and may be any other nut for that matter, but peanut is Yummy!)grinded to a fine powder-set aside/Dice in fine pieces an onion (small, large, who’s counting?) and Heat some Olive/Canola/Vegetable, etc Oil on a large frying pan/Add Fresh Garlic-Crushed Pepper (the better the pepper the better the taste!)Sea or Regular Salt (See? I am not picky!) at this point your most trusted herbs and spices can go into the mix/Add the Peanut powder on the mix and then add the Quinoa fully cooked and mix it all together/Last but certainly not least Add Curry Hot or Mild, I don’t care, about 2 teaspoons-more or less, do not let this part stop you-and at the end make sure you add a little more liquid so the whole thing looks and tastes like it should.
Curry, Peanuts, Quinoa! Oh Boy, do they get along well. 5 Stars for this food from the Inkas To The Tables! PS: Since I already got into it please note that the curry powder is dissolved at the start together with the broth! It surely does not go at the end when everything is fully cooked, thank you for your understanding on this matter!

Bob’s Red Mill QuionaBob’s Red Mill products are always first class. The Quiona does not need to be prewashed, no bitter taste as with other brands.
The health benefits of Quiona are phenomenal. Proteins, amino acids, low calorie…and versatile…used in place of rice, coucous, pasta, potatoes.
Love it! Use it every day!

Quinoa Very Good and Good for YouBob’s Red Mill Quinoa is a great value from Amazon.
Quinoa is one of the best grains to eat. It has the highest content of several important nutrients and is a complete protein. It has a bit of a nutty flavor and is a great alternative to rice. It is also gluten free.

Quinoa is Nutty (Yummy) like Barley; Sage like Ancient Vines Lost from Long Ago Times.Even though I write reviews mostly on my favorite types of escape novels, I was sparked by Amazon’s enthusiasm, to take part in the grocery store and gourmet food expansions here. My first purchase (of products beyond books) included a grain called QUINOA (Keenwa), on a Super Saver Shipping.

The product arrived in very good order and within perfect timing.

In that maiden purchase (which included a novel, of course, Cleo Coyle’s latest coffeehouse mystery, MURDER MOST FROTHY), I also added lavender and clove essential oils to my shopping cart, along with powdered cloves, and lavender tea. See my Listmania on Essential Oils (which indicates which items I’ve reviewed) for info on the values and uses of lavender and cloves, available from various vendors here.

I consider Quinoa to be the most valuable food available on the planet, a food which meets my standards for luxury gourmet in flavor (and culinary versatility), in addition to being baseline healthy with full-spectrum nourishment.

If I had to be limited to only 4 items or food groups (in addition to water, of course) to eat or drink, those would be Quinoa, Coffee, Dairy Products, and a variety of greens, spices, & nuts. Yeah, okay, dairy products; and greens, spices, & nuts may be considered more than 2 items, but, for me they’re two categories.

I’m not a vegetarian because I love meat, chicken, and fish, but if I’m working with limitations, I’m making do with the most basic of basics, while still having enough food items to concoct satisfying flavor (yeah, yeah, and nutrition, too, though according to my beliefs, “nutrition” dims and deteriorates, unless it’s in the living presence of “yummy.”).

Quinoa, I believe, would take care of all (or at least many) basic nutritional needs.

The way I simplify my use and preparation of Quinoa is to think of it either as rice or oatmeal, and then to “gourmet it” accordingly.

— As “rice” I add savory herbs like parsley, basil, marjoram, garlic, onions, etc. Actually, most types of herb concoctions or side foods which could be blended with pasta would also work with Quinoa. Think of what Lidia’s Italian Table does with “noodle heaven”; then substitute Quinoa for pasta (I like pasta too, of course).

— Instructions are given on the bag for boiling the water then adding the Quinoa, covering the pot, and simmering for 12-15 minutes.

— I’ve also successfully prepared Quinoa in the microwave. You can heat the water to boil in a bowl then add Quinoa, cover, and cook. Normally, a microwave cooks 4 times faster than “outside-the-waves” cooking, but, of course that time varies with larger amounts of food. For example, 1 potato cooks (on average) in 4 – 8 minutes, 2 potatoes require double that, or 8 -16 minutes.

— For a single serving cooked quickly in the microwave, I might use 1/4 cup Quinoa with 2/4 (

Bob’s Red Mill QuinoaThe package states that this quinoa is pre-washed. I could still taste some bitterness. I found that if I soak it for 20-30 minutes, rinse well and then cook it the taste is greatly improved. I had read that if you see suds when you rinse it there is still bitter-tasting saponins on the grain. I did see suds. I had also read that using less water than called for and simmering longer would give you a nice fluffy grain. I found this to be true. I use a little more than 1 1/2 C of water to 1 C of grain and simmer around 45-50 minutes. With these changes in preparation I rate this grain very highly.